Federal cuts to family day care funding will force local child care providers to close their doors or increase already high costs to parents in the area, say local providers.

Heather Havens, director of Darwin Family Day Care, says Abbott Government cuts to administrative funding could place up to 500 local kids on the street with no child care and force 80 child care workers out of a job.

“It’s simple: no money, no care,” Ms Havens said. “We would have to close.”

Commonwealth cuts to family day care funding are set to take effect July 1, 2015. The cuts will trim $157.1 million from family day care programs over three years and means grim prospects for the viability of the program in all parts of the country, advocates say.

That money, funded through the Community Support Program, is currently being used to help train and certify family day care workers and helps monitor homes where children stay.

Ms Havens says she is looking at options to keep family day care in the NT, but says the choices are “not pleasant”.

“I think everybody thinks it’s so ridiculous, it won’t happen,” she said. “But the bottom line is … we will lose that funding and if we can’t find another way of replacing it … I don’t know how we will survive.”

To make up the difference, Ms Havens estimates parents would have to fork out an extra $50 a week more on average than the current $300.

“Everybody who has anything to do with family day care will be asked to pay or else we close our doors,” she said. “And parents can’t afford to pay any more.”

Liberal Assistant Education Minister Sussan Ley said the Government was forced to cut funding through the Community Supports Program because it had strayed from its original intent and was no longer feasible.

“This program is designed to help regional, remote and disadvantaged communities where child care is unviable, yet the majority of funds are paid to family day care services in competitive metropolitan areas,” she said in an email. “To put our heads in the sand and continue on unchanged would’ve been counterproductive and ultimately unsustainable, particularly given the program has blown its budget three years running.”

Ms Ley added they Government would work with the family day care sector to help them transition.

Recent reports by the Family Day Care Association show Darwin’s day care homes are performing above the national average.

Ms Havens says getting staff trained and operating at a high level has taken a lot of effort. “And to think that we might have to actually close it,” she said.

Comments on this story

Old Mum of Retirement home Posted at 1:09 PM July 05, 2014

In the 1970's Day Care was very affordable and we didn't need to rely on the 'F' word - funding. At that time we didn't have the ridiculous situation where carers had to have uni. degrees.
My child spent many wonderfully happy half days in the care of women who truly loved small children and spent time teaching them useful and interesting things. All this without university qualifications.
When love of children is replaced by authoritarian and ridiculous 'rules' that benefit neither the child or the parents - this sadly is where it ends up.

Greg of Karama of Karama Posted at 9:42 AM July 05, 2014

The government looks set to bring in Before School Care and charge you for it, according to the rumor mill. Milk us dry is the cry.

badger of darwin Posted at 8:59 PM July 04, 2014

I agree Dave Wane of Darwin, kids get looked after by their parents "after hours" and absolutely no requirements of how well they can do the job. But when it comes to day care centers the criteria for just running these places is beyond stupid and they still don't get it right. Dotting i's and crossing t's does not save the child. Like you say maybe create the 5 star for those who have money and normal places for those that don't. I know many capable mothers who would love to look after children and are more than capable to do so, but cannot afford the criteria set by the government. The nanny society strikes again.

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